(a) Fragile coastal natural resource areas are generally
recognized to be of educational, scientific, or cultural value because of the
natural features of the particular site. These features in the coastal area
serve to distinguish the area designated from the vast majority of coastal
landscape and therein establish its value. Such areas may be key components of
systems unique to the coast which act to maintain the integrity of that system.

(b) Areas that contain outstanding examples of coastal
processes or habitat areas of significance to the scientific or educational
communities are a second type of fragile coastal natural resource area. These
areas are essentially self‑contained units or "closed systems"
minimally dependent upon adjoining areas.

(c) Finally, fragile areas may be particularly important to
a locale either in an aesthetic or cultural sense.

(d) Fragile coastal cultural resource areas are generally
recognized to be of educational, associative, scientific, aesthetic, or
cultural value because of their special importance to our understanding of past
human settlement of and interaction with the coastal zone. Their importance
serves to distinguish the designated areas as significant among the historic
architectural or archaeological remains in the coastal zone, and therein
established their value.